diff --git a/python/iridium_extractor_flowgraph.py b/python/iridium_extractor_flowgraph.py
index 6d84482..1e01ce2 100644
--- a/python/iridium_extractor_flowgraph.py
+++ b/python/iridium_extractor_flowgraph.py
@@ -13,7 +13,15 @@
 import time
 import platform
 import multiprocessing
-import distutils.util
+
+def strtobool(val):
+    val = val.lower()
+    if val in ('y', 'yes', 't', 'true', 'on', '1'):
+        return True
+    elif val in ('n', 'no', 'f', 'false', 'off', '0'):
+        return False
+    else:
+        raise ValueError("invalid truth value %r" % (val,))
 
 
 class FlowGraph(gr.top_block):
@@ -312,7 +320,7 @@ def match_gain(gain, gain_names):
 
             pass_tags = False
             if 'pass_tags' in d:
-                pass_tags = bool(distutils.util.strtobool(d['pass_tags']))
+                pass_tags = strtobool(d['pass_tags'])
 
             timeout = 100
             if 'timeout' in d: